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Oakdale commission hears park system plan update emphasizing accessibility, community input and phased costs
Summary
City staff and SRF Consulting presented concept updates for Northdale, Eastside, Walton, Tanner's Lake and Goose Pond parks after broad community engagement; commissioners prioritized accessibility, multiuse fields, and phased budgeting while requesting cost estimates for splash pads and drainage work.
Oakdale Parks and Recreation commissioners reviewed updated concepts for the city’s community parks on Nov. 19, 2024, after consultants summarized extensive community engagement.
Hannah Dunn, City of Oakdale staff, told commissioners the project team received “over 400 responses” to the systemwide survey and more than 200 responses for Tanner’s Lake alone, and that in-person outreach engaged several hundred residents. Stuart Crosby, a landscape architect with SRF Consulting Group, said the project team used that feedback plus council direction to refine park concepts and prepare a preferred-concept recommendation.
Key changes recommended for the community parks included: replacing the Northdale hockey rink with a permanent volleyball location, upgrading playgrounds and adding accessible paved trail connections; keeping the Eastside tennis courts while adding pickleball striping and improving crossings and ADA access; exploring a new ‘pinwheel’ layout at Richard Walton Park to expand tournament-ready space while moving a water-play feature to another site; reducing Tanner’s Lake beach area in favor of a splash-pad-style water play feature near a repurposed and rentable building; and installing goose-management buffers at Goose Pond while retaining open soccer space.
Commissioners repeatedly pressed SRF on practical details. Commissioner Cunningham asked about long-term costs and health/safety upkeep for splash pads; Crosby said the team will include installation and annual maintenance estimates in the plan, noting modern splash pads can be more economical than pools and typically do not require lifeguards. On field drainage—a recurring community concern—SRF recommended investigating drain tile and other improvements and will include drainage options in cost estimates.
On accessibility, SRF emphasized paved trail connectors and curb-truncated-dome improvements at several parks to make play areas and shelters easier to reach for strollers and mobility devices. Commissioners also discussed removable outfield fences, protective netting, and screens where ball fields abut residential yards to limit lost balls and property impacts; SRF said these items are already being considered in the design’s finer details.
SRF told the commission the full plan will include cost estimates and a phasing plan so the city can prioritize near-term improvements while acknowledging the program could take a decade or more to implement if every desired item is included.
The commission did not take a formal vote on park concepts at the meeting; staff will incorporate commissioner feedback and community survey results before presenting preferred concepts to the City Council.
